‘Mighty Morphin Power Rangers': Lionsgate preps big-screen return

Lionsgate plans to bring the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers back to the big screen. (Saban Brands)

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers are headed back to the big screen.

Lionsgate and licensing entity Saban Brands announced Wednesday that they are teaming up to reboot the five color-coded heroes for the modern era.

No director or screenwriter has been announced for the live-action film, which will “re-envision” the team of high school kids with special super powers tasked with saving the world.

“The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” TV series debuted in 1993 and aired on Fox for three years, attracting a following among the elementary-school set drawn to the adventures of the heroes as they battled giant robots and other foes. The show offered actions and low-budget charms — frequently recycling footage from “Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger,” a Japanese program, with American actors dubbing in the voices.

The Power Rangers made the leap to the big screen in 1995’s “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie,” and 1997’s “Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie” (the “Mighty Morphin” was officially dropped from the title in 1996), and the squad has since spawned a number of spinoffs and sequels.

Lionsgate Chief Executive John Feltheimer said in the statement that “the Power Rangers stories and characters have been embraced by generations of audiences for more than 20 years, and today they are more powerful than ever.”

The property has changed hands repeatedly over the years, and was bought back by Saban Brands from Walt Disney Co. after that company had taken control of the Power Rangers in 2001. Saban then promptly signed a deal with Nickelodeon to air new episodes of the show in an agreement that was estimated at $100 million.

The twenty-first season of the show, now titled “Power Rangers Super Megaforce,” premiered on Nickelodeon in February.

Are you excited about the prospect of a “Power Rangers” film? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.